Gainesville's Whole Foods opens to long lines

Wednesday

Customers tried out nut butter processing machines and Whole Foods make-your-own acai bowls, and many made their own plates at the store’s hot-food station.

Whole Foods opened in Gainesville Wednesday morning, with a line stretching around the corner of the building on Archer Road.

The city's newest upscale food purveyor became the first tenant to open in Gainesville’s newest retail development, Butler Town Center.

A Whole Foods representative said at the grocery store’s traditional “bread-breaking” ceremony, which included city and Whole Foods officials tearing up a 5-foot-long loaf of French bread, that the project had been in the works for five years and he was happy the store was finally opening.

Nearby sat an alligator made out of bread for added Gainesville flair. The alligator was made by the Whole Foods' bakehouse in Pompano Beach.

Butler Enterprises President Deborah Butler addressed officials and waiting customers and said Whole Foods is a beautiful addition to Gainesville.

“I could not have partnered with a more unique company and innovative retailer like Whole Foods, which is so perfect for our community,” Butler said.

Mario Torres, the store's team leader, gave credit to his staff for working hard to get the 40,000-square-foot store ready before opening the doors to hundreds of eager shoppers.

Whole Foods had offered $5 to $500 gift cards for the first 500 customers in line, so plenty of customers waited for hours to get their hands on one.

Bennett Scott, a 56-year-old Gainesville veteran, was first in line and had been waiting in his wheelchair since 9 p.m. Tuesday.

He waited the 12 hours not knowing what Whole Foods sold, but he was eager to see how much his gift card was worth.

“I got to look at what they have first (before deciding what to buy),” Scott said while describing what he planned to do inside the store. “I just knew I had to be one of the first 500.”

Ana Bright, also of Gainesville, spent her time in line dancing to music blaring from speakers.

She arrived at the store at 5:30 a.m., hoping to be among the first in line. But she was more interested in the groceries than Scott was.

Despite just missing out on a gift card, customer No. 501, James Barton, called Whole Foods his "favorite store" and was still excited to go inside.

"It's all right. This has been my favorite store for a long time," Barton said, adding he had visited Whole Foods stores elsewhere in Florida. "The atmosphere here is incredible."

"I told my wife I wanted to get here at 4 (a.m.)," he said. "But man, she thought I was crazy. Guess I'm not so crazy now."

When the doors opened, customers wasted no time heading down the aisles for groceries.

The grocery store smelled like fresh produce when you walked in the doors and fish the closer you got to a fish display, which was a small boat filled with ice, red snapper and lionfish.

Customers tried out nut butter processing machines and Whole Foods make-your-own acai bowls, and many made their own plates at the store’s hot-food station with Latin, Asian, New Orleans style, and “homestyle” foods.

Once inside, one woman insisted on taking selfies with friends.

Another joked: “They have wine tasting at 9:30 a.m.? I’m about it.”

The store had several tasting areas, with foods like bacon and European cheeses.

As she loaded groceries into her car, Frances Bessent of Gainesville said she the store exceeded her expectations.

Bessent said she bought sweet potatoes, turkey and bacon and said, “(Whole Foods) had this cheese from Italy and, oh my goodness, it was so good.”

She said she would have bought some but it sold for $16 a pound. But most the store's prices seemed comparable to other grocery store prices in Gainesville.

“I really loved it in there,” Bessent said. “I was very impressed. Whole Foods as a grocery store and their staff was wonderful to everyone.”